


daisies, daisies (they're all for you)

by aprilflower (demonglass)



Category: ITZY (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, Chance Meetings, F/F, Family Drama, Flirting, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, Summer, american east coast au, i believe in the power of a good sapphic summer, when life gives you lemons... literally make lemonade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26197726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonglass/pseuds/aprilflower
Summary: Jisu meeting Ryujin is a stroke of serendipity, proof there really can be a silver lining to every stormy sky.
Relationships: Choi Jisu | Lia/Shin Ryujin
Comments: 31
Kudos: 100
Collections: Girl Group Jukebox - Mixtape Round





	daisies, daisies (they're all for you)

**Author's Note:**

> written for gg jukebox mixtape round, inspired by blue lemonade by red velvet! 
> 
> (i realized after rereading the lyrics again about a week before postings that this song is actually about sex but let's pretend it's just about having a sweet summery crush on someone! bc that's what i wrote about lol)

The air in this seaside town makes Jisu feel invincible.

Maybe it's the distance from home, from her brother and his friends, from  _ everyone _ she knows back home _.  _ There's just  _ something  _ about being in a town where no one but her aunt and a single friend really know who she is, where no one has real expectations of her, where she can be anyone, do anything. And the smell of salt that carries on the breeze is an added bonus.

As Jisu walks along the beach early in the morning, catching the sunrise as it spills golden blush across the horizon, she breathes deeply. Waves lap at the shore, and the tide is receding, but it's still close enough that Jisu can slip off her sandals and step into wet sand, feel the edge of the sea brush against her toes. The water is cold, and the morning breeze is cool, makes Jisu's sundress flutter all around her, but she knows that in just a few hours, the air will heat up enough to send sweat dripping down her skin as she works, so she savors the shivers that race up her spine.

Though they're nearing the peak of summer tourism here, the town is small enough, quiet enough, that the beach is nearly empty around Jisu. The locals are used to the sights, know the tides like the backs of their hands and rarely come out for something as unimpressive as this, and anyone visiting has come for the midday sun and the waves that crash against sand and rocks in great shows, so they're still sleeping the dawn away.

Jisu is used to this. Every summer, it's the same. Heat and humidity wrap around everything like a heavy blanket and everyone grows lazy for it, even the animals that fill the woods, or that graze in the farmland just north of town. Every summer, Jisu comes out alone, breathes in the sea breeze and lets the ocean wrap its arms around her when its call grows particularly strong and she can't resist diving in.

When Jisu isn't here, isn't at the ocean's edge kicking mounds of sand to watch it fly away in the wind, or staring out at the horizon to see just how far and wide the sea stretches, she's back at her aunt's bed and breakfast, serving food or hanging the wash on the lines strung across the grassy lawn behind the house. Jisu spends these days cleaning, laughing with her aunt in her office as they trade stories about the different people who come through the bed and breakfast.

Sometimes it's not all this, though. Some days, Jisu's aunt sends her into the heart of town with an honest wicker basket to buy whatever they need from the general store, and Jisu wanders off-course to enjoy the sight of sunlight sparkling off the surface of the stream that cuts through the town.

On the best days, Jisu's aunt will leave Felix, one of the local boys that's been working for her for years and years, in charge of the whole place for an hour or two, and she and Jisu will run off together in the evening light to buy ice cream cones from the local scoop shop, and people watch as they sate their shared sweet tooth. These days - more like nights, really - tend to end on a rickety old bench, with stomach aches either from too much sugar, or from too much laughter. Jisu doesn't mind them either way.

For now, though, Jisu simply stands with a smile tugging at her lips at the sight of the morning light painting the ocean in shades of bright wines, rich pinks and reds. The sand shifts under her toes and the soft hiss of the ocean washes calm all over her. The bottom hem of her dress flies up and she smooths it back down, one hand in the light blue fabric, the other running through her hair to keep it out of her face.

This place makes her feel free. The freedom makes the solitude worthwhile. Solitude, because other than her aunt, and Felix, who's worked at the bed and breakfast the longest of all the local boys, she doesn't know anyone in this town. Or rather, no one in this town knows  _ her _ . She thinks she likes it this way, having this break from expectations and from the social rules that weigh her down back home, in school and everything else, but still... sometimes loneliness comes to her in moments, in whispers.

It's a different kind of loneliness than she's used to, emptier than what she feels back home, surrounded by people who she knows only stay because of circumstance, because they've known each other so long that even if the spark of first friendship fades, it's still simply easier to stay together than to split apart. Back home, loneliness can feel suffocating. Here, it feels like space, like opportunity. Like there's room for something more, for something new.

It's not perfect, but it's better. And even if she's on her own, the sea sings to her every day, so she's never really alone.

Summer is heat and sweat and the work, and it's the ocean, the salt in the air, the wind in her hair. Summer is early morning dew and firefly lit nights, bookends to days spent in air conditioning or splashing in the sea. Summer is the world splashed in vibrant color, injected with something as thick as humidity that makes everything brighter, everything feel more incredible than it is. Summer is the tradition of driving out to this small, sleepy town, and summer is all the chance and freedom that comes with it.

Summer is this and more, and Jisu loves it.

At seven on the dot, Jisu's watch buzzes to tell her the time, and summer turns from watching the tide crawl home to the heart of the sea, to spinning in the sand, hooking fingers around the sandals Jisu had worn to the beach, and walking back towards the bleached wood steps that lead up to the main road. Early morning ends and the day begins, and Jisu brushes sand from her skin, slips her sandals back on, and heads down the road in the direction of her three month home.

Seven-fifteen, and Jisu has passed overgrown shrubs, squirrels and singing birds, and the deep shade provided by the trees that line the road along the eastern side. She reaches the bed and breakfast driveway, and pavement turns to pebbles, smoothed by the rain and by years of feet and tires. On the front porch, the old swing creaks back and forth on its chains, jostled by the breeze, and the sound of rocks crunching underfoot joins in to undercut the sound of morning birdsong.

Jisu cuts through the lawn to reach the porch, and slides off her sandals, shaking the sand out of them so she doesn't have to sweep the wood floor before the afternoon. What sand is left on her feet that doesn't brush off in the grass, comes off as she knocks her feet twice against the entryway mat.

She opens the front door, setting off the faint chime of the overhead chime, and steps inside the house just before seven twenty. Ten minutes to spare as she carries her sandals to the shoe stand in the staff room and clips her name tag to the breast of her dress. She slips into structured slippers for work, gives herself a once-over in the mirror, and runs her fingers through her hair so she can twist it up and out of her face.

And then her watch buzzes again, marking the half hour, and she makes her way towards the dining room, smile slipping onto her face to ready her for the day.

The passage of time is funny. Some mornings drag on for ages, but some seem to fly away in the blink of an eye. Jisu finds this one in particular slips past her like smoke, and before she knows it, breakfast has ended and she's cleaning out a room that's just been vacated. Cleaning quickly turns to running the wash, then to eating lunch on the front porch swing, fresh lettuce from the neighbors garden crunching between her teeth.

She's just considering venturing back to the neighbor's door to ask if they have strawberries to spare, when a car rolls into view at the end of the drive. Technically, she's on break, but Jisu takes pride in keeping the bed and breakfast running well, so even when she's not working, she tries to present herself with dignity. Her back straightens and she takes a daintier bite of her lunch as the car draws nearer. She smooths her dress over her thighs, and tries not to look like she's peering at the dark windows of the car to see what kinds of newcomers may be concealed within.

When the car finally rolls to a stop, the passenger side door opens right away. A girl steps out into the bright sunlight, hand raised to shield her face from the glare, and she slams the door shut just as quickly as she'd flung it open. She turns her back to Jisu as she walks around to the trunk of the car, and she disappears from sight for a moment, before reappearing with a single suitcase clutched in her hand, and a backpack slung over her shoulder.

As soon as the trunk seals shut and the girl is out of the way, the car starts moving again. Jisu blinks in surprise. The car backs down the driveway and vanishes as it moves back onto the main road. No other passengers. Just the one girl and her two small bags. She doesn't even watch the car drive off, turns her back on it right away and stalks towards the house without sparing her ride a second glance.

Jisu stands from the swing, leaving the rest of her lunch for a moment. She watches the girl as she approaches, hand still shielding her eyes from the sun. Her hair is tied back, and she's in a tank top and what looks like pajama shorts. She's got white sneakers that Jisu can tell are stained even from a distance. Something about the way the girl carries herself, about the strange way she'd arrived, makes Jisu step to the side so she's standing just before the front door.

She raises a hand and calls out in greeting, like she'd do if she was on desk duty inside.

For a moment, it seems that the girl hasn't acknowledged her, but then she reaches the first porch step and the shade of the house falls over her face, so she drops the hand protecting her eyes and offers Jisu a wave.

The girl smiles tightly as she says hello, and her face is burned red, though Jisu has a feeling the color didn't come from the sun.

Jisu holds back the question of  _ are you all right?  _ bubbling up inside of her, and instead welcomes the girl to the bed and breakfast, opening the door and ushering her inside. "How long will you be staying?"

Something passes over the girl's face. "Dunno," she answers. "One night? Is there some sort of policy about knowing how many nights you’re booking in advance?"

Jisu shakes her head as she leads the girl to the front desk, earning her a confused look from Felix, who'd just waved her off on her lunch break and is currently manning the desk. "A guest is a guest," Jisu tells the girl.

"Cool," the girl says, with little enthusiasm, but a hint of relief.

Jisu offers the girl another smile, hopes it comes off warmer than just a plain customer service front. She steps around the front desk to stand beside Felix, and he - thankfully - says nothing, just lets her. Jisu scans the room key display to see how many they have available (quite a few) and where in the expansive house they're located.

"Any preference?" Jisu asks.

The girl shakes her head. "Whatever you've got is fine."

So Jisu picks a room with a nice view of the woods and pulls the room key from its holder, setting it on the desk. She rattles off the pricing and information, and the girl's eyes glaze over a bit, but she pulls a wad of cash out of her pocket, and counts out the bills as she lays them on the desk before passing the money over to Jisu.

All the while, Felix stands just to Jisu's right and watches silently, and though the girl pays him no mind, Jisu can practically hear him trying to telepathically ask her what's going on, why she's not still on break right now. Jisu tries to ignore his silent attempts at communication. She'll tell him later... once she knows how to answer.

"Your name?" Jisu asks once the transaction is done and the girl looks ready to bold with her key. "For our logbook."

The girl blinks at her. "Um. Ryujin, Shin."

“You have any ID, Ryujin?”

Ryujin twists and roots through her backpack until she produces a driver’s license, holding it up for Jisu to see. Name and birthday: Ryujin Shin, April 17, 2001. She’s barely eighteen.

Jisu nods, and pens the name carefully onto the guest book’s paper. For some reason, it tickles at something in a deep corner of her brain, but she doesn't have the time to figure out just what, as she looks up and offers Ryujin another smile. "Okay, you're all set!" She rummages around behind the desk and produces a pair of slippers for Ryujin to change into.

Ryujin accepts them with a soft thanks, and rests a hand on the desk as she toes off her sneakers and swaps footwear. When she looks back up again, Jisu says, "Perfect. I'll show you to your room."

Ryujin blinks again, but nods carefully. "'Kay," she says. "Thanks."

"Of course," Jisu says, stepping around the desk again so she can lead Ryujin away from the entrance, up the stairs and towards the room she'd picked for her. Jisu can feel Felix staring at her as she walks away, but she pretends not to notice.  _ Later _ , she promises.

Ryujin follows Jisu across the open floor of the entryway, keeps silent as they reach the steps and start to head up.

"Your room is on the second floor," Jisu says, though it's probably self-explanatory. "The wifi password is attached to the door, but if you have any trouble with it, you can come back down and ask for help at the desk." They reach the second floor and Jisu continues leading Ryujin the rest of the short distance to her room. "Breakfast is from seven thirty to nine in the morning."

They come to a stop in front of Ryujin's door.

"This is you," Jisu says with a smile. "Is there anything I can help you with before I get out of your hair?"

Ryujin looks at her for a moment, as if she's considering something, but she shakes her head. "No, thanks."

"Okay. Well if you do need anything later, I'll be around, or you can find someone else with a name tag-" she taps the name tag on her chest "-and ask away."

"Thanks," Ryujin says with a small smile.

"Of course," Jisu says again. And then, before she outlasts her welcome, she spins around and walks back to the stairs, leaving Ryujin alone.

When she gets back downstairs, Felix stares at her openly. "What was that?"

Jisu glances over her shoulder before stepping up to the desk and answering in a low voice, "I don't know. But I saw her get dropped off and the vibes were super weird, so I thought it would be good to make sure she's okay, or something."

" _ Oh _ ," Felix says, "okay. I thought you were like... you know."

Jisu stares at him.

"You know," Felix says again, like this will make it any clearer.

"Do  _ you know  _ that  _ I'm  _ not psychic?" Jisu asks.

Felix sighs. "I thought you were  _ into  _ her. She's cute."

" _ Oh! _ " Jisu feels heat rise to her cheeks. "No! It wasn't that! I mean, she  _ is _ , but that's not what it was!"

"Right, okay," Felix says, raising his hands in surrender. "So how was her showing up weird?"

Jisu lowers her voice again. "I dunno, it was like, the car just pulled up and she got out and slammed the door and then as soon as she got her stuff out of the trunk, the car just  _ drove off  _ again. She seemed... not happy."

"Oh, damn." Felix glances up the stairs as if he can see past all the wood and walls. "That is weird."

"Yeah," Jisu agrees. She stands there a moment longer before she remembers her lunch, abandoned on the porch swing, and jumps. "Right. I'm going back on my break."

Felix laughs. "Enjoy."

Jisu nods, and heads back out the door, sinks onto the swing again and digs back into her - miraculously undisturbed - lunch. She rocks back and forth on the swing as she eats, and her mind runs away from her. Something about Ryujin had seemed familiar,  _ somehow _ , though Jisu doesn't know exactly what it is.

When wracking her brain turns up nothing, Jisu's attention shifts back to the scene of Ryujin's arrival. Had she fought with whoever was driving the car? Considering the way she'd asked about the bed and breakfast's policies, and the way she'd paid for a night in her room, it doesn't exactly seem like this was a stop she'd planned. Curiosity washes over Jisu, and she doesn't like to think of herself as nosy, but she finds that she desperately wants to know more.

Her curiosity has to wait, though, as she finishes her lunch, and stands from the swing again, stretching her arms over her head and popping something in her back. She brings her dishes inside, takes them to the sink at the back of the kitchen and washes them quickly, leaving them on the drying rack in the corner. When all traces of her lunch have been cleaned, she heads for her aunt's office, knocking at the door before entering.

Her aunt looks up from her computer, pausing whatever she's working on to give Jisu her attention.

"Do you think it would be nice to make some berry lemonade?" Jisu asks. "We have all that really strong concentrate left in the freezer that's not really that good on its own, so I was thinking of heading next door to see if they've got any extra strawberries or something to sweeten it up."

Jisu's aunt smiles. "That sounds nice, darling. It's a great day for it. If you want, you could get out the molds and make the lemonade into popsicles, too. You'd have to head to the store to get sticks."

"Oh, that would be fun!" Jisu says, always eager for trips to town, to the general store. "Is there anything you need me to do before I go?"

"You're the one who's been out and about. I've been stuck in here melting my brain," Jisu's aunt laughs. "If you and Felix think things are in order, you can go whenever you want."

Jisu brightens. "Okay," she says. "Thanks!"

"Of course," her aunt says with a smile. Jisu returns it before backing out of the room and leaving her aunt to whatever work she's catching up on. She passes Felix, reorganizing something behind the desk, on her way out, and lets him know she's heading to the general store.

"Is there anything you need while I'm out?" Jisu asks. "Anything that's not already on the list?"

"Uh..." Felix considers for a moment. "I don't think so."

"Well, if you think of anything in the next two minutes, let me know," Jisu says, slipping off into the staff room to retrieve her shoes and check the whiteboard that hangs on the wall to see what's on the  _ need to buy more of  _ list.

She swaps her slippers for sandals, and finds one thing on the list: more liquid handsoap for the bathrooms. It's a bit of a relief, honestly, because the general store doesn't carry the soap - it's only available one town over in one of the stores in the strip mall there - so she can leave the task of buying it for another time.

Jisu returns to the desk to find Felix tapping absently at the wood. When he sees her, he grins, like he's thought of something fun. "Can you get me some blow pops while you're there?" As he asks, he holds out a crumpled dollar bill.

Jisu laughs, takes the bill from him and tucks it in the pocket of her dress with her phone. "Sure. I'm gonna be making lemonade popsicles when I get back, though."

Felix's eyes light up. "God, I love working here."

Jisu laughs again. She's about to make her way towards the door and be on her way, when the stairs creak, and her eyes jump from Felix to the movement across the room. She finds Ryujin at the bottom step, looking right at her as she walks towards the desk.

Jisu presses a hasty pause on her plans to leave, and steps up to Felix's side at the desk, straightening her back so she looks prepared for whatever question Ryujin is bringing to them.

"Uh, hi," Ryujin says as she comes to a stop in front of them. "Is there a store nearby? Or like, some place to get food?"

"Yeah!" Jisu answers. "It's about a fifteen minute walk into the main part of town. There's a general store there that has all sorts of stuff. And a little past that there's a - well, I guess it's not  _ technically  _ a diner - but you can get food there, too, if you don't find what you want at the store. Those are the two closest places." She pauses for just a moment, considering. "I'm actually heading there now, if you want me to show you the way?"

Ryujin also considers this for a moment. "That would be nice," she says after a few long seconds. "If it's not too much trouble for you."

"Of course not!" Jisu assures her. "No trouble at all!"

Ryujin offers her a small smile. "Thanks, then. I'll just follow you, I guess."

"Sure," Jisu says, smiling back. She steps around the desk and waves goodbye to Felix, who's doing an awful job of keeping an  _ I see what's happening here  _ look off of his face. At the door, Ryujin puts the sneakers she'd been holding in her hands back on, and then Jisu leads them out onto the porch, down the steps and to the drive.

The rocks crunch under their feet as they walk, and Jisu glances at Ryujin, just to her right, one step behind. Ryujin has changed into cutoff jeans, and her hands are stuffed in her back pockets. Her hair is down now, falling just past her chin, and Jisu notes that while it had appeared black in the artificial light of the bed and breakfast, in the sunlight, it shines dark blue.

The curiosity she'd pushed down earlier comes rising back up, crawling in like the tide until Jisu is practically swimming in it. They reach the main road, shaded by trees on either side for a while, and the silence starts to feel thick and a bit uncomfortable.

"So," Jisu says, trying to push back the discomfort of the awkward silence. "What brings you here?"

Ryujin lets out a laugh that doesn't sound anywhere close to happy. She runs her tongue over her lower lip, like she's debating how she should answer. "Well, I was  _ supposed  _ to be visiting my grandparents, but you know how… fun... long car rides get sometimes." She cuts off with a grimace.

Jisu makes a soft sound of acknowledgement. "If it's personal, you don't have to say anything," she says. "I totally understand."

Ryujin looks at her, squints as her gaze lingers, as if she’s examining Jisu to try and find something in her. After a moment, it seems that she’s found whatever she’s looking for, and she shrugs. "Eh. You saw me get  _ dropped off  _ here. I bet you're curious. Why not put my business on blast?"

Jisu isn't entirely sure what to say to this, so she simply waits quietly to see if Ryujin will continue. In the beat of silence, she can hear birds chirping in the trees around them, can hear the far off sound of a car driving somewhere ahead of them. 

"Well,” Ryujin starts, “the long and the short of it is that I got in a big fight with my dad like halfway into a four hour drive, and by hour three he basically told me I couldn’t stay in the car if I kept  _ acting up _ , so I was like  _ fine, drop me off at the next Holiday Inn we pass or whatever, I don’t want to be here with you right now either _ , and next thing you know we were stopping at the first town we got to after that to find some place to drop me off until I  _ come to my senses _ . And that's how I got here. Riveting stuff, right?"

Jisu's lips part and no sound comes out for a moment. "I'm sorry," she ends up saying. "That's... I mean that's a really awful thing for him to do. What kind of parenting is that?"

Ryujin lets out another empty laugh. "I believe that's just called shitty parenting. And you're right, it fucking blows. I'm sure my brother will talk some sense into him and he'll come back eventually, won't just leave me here for the whole week, but honestly, I'm not even sure I  _ want  _ him to. This place seems nice enough. And I'm kind of tired of his shit."

Again, Jisu isn't sure what the right thing to say is. She looks down at her feet, at the road stretching along in front of them, trying to come up with something. She settles for, "Sorry, again. It  _ is  _ really nice here, though. The beach is great."

"Oh?" Ryujin seems to perk up at this. "I didn't realize we were on the water."

Jisu's eyes widen, landing on Ryujin again. "Yeah! It's like a fifteen minute walk from the B&B. I can point you in the right direction when we head back.

"Cool! Thanks," Ryujin says, the sourness slipping from her face. "Your name's Jisu, right?"

Jisu nods, absently tapping the name tag still attached to her dress.

"How do you keep yourself entertained in this tiny town all year. I assume the beach isn't as fun in the winter."

"Oh, I don't know," Jisu answers honestly. "I don't live here. Just visiting for the summer."

"Oh," Ryujin says, interest sparking in her eyes. "Where are you from?"

"I live a couple hours west of here," Jisu tells her. "Technically not even really from a town much bigger than this one, but there's more stuff in the area, I guess."

Ryujin nods to show she's following along. "Do you work here every summer?"

Jisu nods. "My aunt owns the bed and breakfast, so I come out to visit her and help out."

"Ah," Ryujin says, "that explains why you looked like you were so in charge earlier. You been helping run things for a while?"

Jisu nods again. "Since I was like fifteen."

Ryujin squints at her. "And that makes how many years? Sorry, you just kind of have a baby face so I really can't tell."

Jisu feels heat flush in her cheeks. "I'm nineteen now. Or, I will be in a couple weeks."

"Oh, well happy birthday, I guess," Ryujin says. "Funny, I would have guessed we were the same age."

"I would have too," Jisu admits.

"Well, I guess technically we  _ are  _ the same age right now," Ryujin points out, “just not for long.”

“That’s true," Jisu says. She pauses, stepping to the far side of the road as a car nears them, passing and disappearing behind them after a minute. They both step back towards the middle of the lane, and Jisu glances at Ryujin again. "So is this the summer before your freshman year of college? Or are you still in high school, or taking a gap year or something?"

"Gap year,” Ryujin says. “Thanks for including that in the questionnaire, I’m so used to people giving me weird looks when I tell them. What about you?"

"I’m about to go into my freshman year," Jisu answers. “I was one of the old kids in my grade; my parents moved us around a lot when we were younger so I repeated fourth grade when we finally settled down."

"Man, what I would give to repeat fourth grade now," Ryujin sighs.

Jisu laughs lightly. "It was surprisingly nice. The first time around wasn't that great, so it was cool to get a do-over. Kind of blows that most of the people in my grade are younger than me though. There was always someone who pointed it out like it's a huge deal or whatever."

"People are stupid," Ryujin says without hesitation. "They'll say anything."

Jisu shrugs. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, I think age jokes are better than any of the other stuff I could deal with instead."

Ryujin quirks a brow, and Jisu sees her eyes drop to take in Jisu's dress, the braid she'd woven her hair into sometime after breakfast. "What else could people tease you about? You seem capable and stuff."

Jisu laughs again. "Thanks, I think? I just mean that... well, my high school was regional, so it had kids from like five different towns, and some of them are... less liberal than mine, so it's lucky that for the most part the only thing I got the occasional comment about was just being a bit older than everyone else."

A hint of recognition plays across Ryujin's face, and she offers Jisu an encouraging smile, like she's waiting for her to say the rest. And Jisu has a gut feeling about Ryujin, so she says, "I like girls."

Ryujin smiles wider. "Me too."

Jisu nods. "Cool."

"Well, I think so," Ryujin laughs before her face falls again. "My dad? Not as impressed."

"That's bullshit," Jisu says, then slaps a hand over her mouth, because she’d definitely meant to say something more proper.

"Trust me, I know," Ryujin says, half a smile playing at her lips at Jisu’s reaction to her own words. "That's what we were fighting about, actually.” She hesitates a moment before continuing. “Last year I agreed to be a friend's beard for a while because his family was getting on him about dating in his senior year or whatever, and he wasn't ready to come out to them yet, and we  _ dated- _ ”she makes quotation marks in the air “-for a little while, just to get his folks to ease off him so he could focus on just finishing school and getting into college and stuff.

“But anyway, after a few months we  _ broke things off- _ ” the quotation marks again “-and then another few months later, right at the end of the school year, he finally came out - all good, by the way, which was awesome - but people started talking about it, and then about  _ me _ , because we'd dated. It was mostly nothing, but there was a lot of speculation about whether I was the only beard in the relationship, and I guess some parents heard or something, because my dad had the genius idea to bring it up while we were locked in the car together. And I never really tried to hide it, anyway, so when he asked I just said  _ yeah, I guess that hot goss you got from your fucking wine group was right _ , and boy did he  _ not  _ like that."

Jisu opens her mouth to say something along the lines of  _ wow, that’s terrible, I’m so sorry you had to go through that,  _ when part of the story  _ clicks  _ in her brain and her eyes widen. “Wait,” she says slowly, “that actually sounds kind of familiar? Was your friend Donghyuck? Lee?”

Ryujin’s eyes widen. “Yeah, actually,” she says, surprise coloring her voice. “You know him?”

“Sort of,” Jisu says. She squints at Ryujin, one last gear turning in her head. “Did you used to have longer hair? Kind of pink-y blonde?”

“Yeah,” Ryujin nods, “I did last year.”

“Holy shit,” Jisu laughs. “I think we’ve met before, technically. Did you go to West Rowell?”

“Yeah,” Ryujin says. “How’d you know?”

“I went to Rowell Regional. I think we ran into each other at a basketball game over the winter? When our teams played.”

Realization dawns across Ryujin’s face. “Hang on, I think you’re right. Donghyuck brought me to a bunch of games ‘cause one of his friends is on the team, and I definitely remember that one, ‘cause you guys are our rivals. Were you-”

“I was working the snack table,” Jisu says. 

“Right!” Ryujin says. “I remember everyone talking about how overpriced your stuff was.” She laughs. “No offense.”

Jisu shrugs. "None taken. I was just volunteering there, didn't have any say in the prices, but I know they're usually steep. There's a lot of snobby parents that come to the games, and they'll pay whatever, so I think that's why. And I think they up the prices for boys teams too, which is dumb, but I guess they think they play better than the girls, or have bigger crowds or something. Or it's just the patriarchy." 

Ryujin laughs. "Probably the patriarchy. I feel like I remember us partying in your school parking lot after the game because we won that game, so your boys couldn’t have been  _ that  _ good."

Jisu's not sure if she laughs because what Ryujin has said is funny, or because Ryujin's laugh is just infectious. When they come down from it, Jisu shakes her head. "That's so crazy, though. I can't believe you live like a town away from me and somehow ended up right here while I was working."

"Serendipity," Ryujin says with a fading smile. "Something good had to come out of my dad being an ass. Silver lining to every storm or something like that."

Jisu sighs, "I'm still sorry that happened to you, though. That's a terrible thing for your dad to do."

Ryujin shrugs, but her face pulls down into a frown again. "I guess. It's not like he threw me into the woods or anything, though, at least. And I don't even know if he was serious when he said he'd just drop me at the first inn we passed until I told him I'd be  _ fine  _ with that if it meant getting away from his crap. He probably just did it to try and scare me straight." She laughs, only half genuine. "Literally, maybe. But he'll be back. Jaemin and my grandparents definitely wouldn't let him just leave me here. Again, though, I still don't really  _ want  _ to see him."

Jisu makes a sympathetic sound. "Jaemin your brother?"

Ryujin nods. "He's got my back. On everything, but especially this; he's friends with Donghyuck too, so he knows everything that happened just as well as I do.”

“Well that’s good,” Jisu says. “Hopefully this’ll all get sorted.”

Ryujin shrugs. “Yeah. He’s been letting me know how things are going over text. Making sure I don’t die before he gets our dad to stop being so stubborn and proud of himself. But I figure as long as I’m here, I might as well have a good time. So, food and the beach, it sounds like.”

Jisu nods, offers Ryujin a smile. “That sounds like a good plan. I definitely recommend the beach. There are some other nice things to do around here if you need any other ideas.”

“Yeah?”

“Aside from the shops in town, there’s a river - actually, I guess it’s not big enough to be a river, but we all call it that - and there’s a little park that you can visit. And our neighbors have gardens they let people stop by to see. You can buy stuff right off the plant. I guess those are the main things I do out of the house.”

“Sounds nice,” Ryujin says. “I’ve never been to a town this  _ quaint  _ before.”

Jisu laughs. “It is a little story-book. That’s what I like about it. It’s nice to get away from home for a little while and just kind of forget about everything. Plus it’s cooler by the ocean than it is further into the state, so that’s another win.”

Ryujin looks Jisu’s way and smiles. “It sounds like you really like it here.”

“Yeah. It’s just so different from everywhere else. And the air smells amazing. They don’t write songs about the sea breeze for nothing.”

“ _ Do _ they write songs about the sea breeze?” Ryujin laughs.

“They do,” Jisu answers. “I think I have a few saved on my phone, actually.” She reaches into the pocket of her dress where her phone is stashed, pulls it out and unlocks it, clicking on her spotify. “Do you want me to play some?”

“Sure,” Ryujin says. “Who am I to turn down music?”

“I imagine you would if it was playing too loud,” Jisu says, thumbs working quickly on her phone screen.

Ryujin snorts. “Well, you’ve got me there. I’ve got a pretty good tolerance for loud noises though- I live with a teenage boy, so.”

“Yeah, that’d do it,” Jisu laughs. “My brother can be loud as hell. Especially when he has his friends over- I need to break out noise-cancelling headphones.”

“Oh my god, you have a brother too?” Ryujin asks, voice bright with interest and maybe a bit of shared pain. “Does he turn into like… an absolute  _ disaster  _ of a human when his friends come over? Because mine  _ totally  _ does that. Is it just a guy thing?”

Jisu finds her beach playlist and starts it, locking her phone again and looking up to meet Ryujin’s eyes. “He  _ really  _ does. It’s like, honestly he’s pretty put together on his own, but as soon as there’s more than just him in a room he reverts back to a teenager again and just goes wild. Guys really just don’t know how to act.”

Ryujin laughs, and it’s such a pretty sound, Jisu almost forgets that she has music playing, until Ryujin lights up in recognition and says, “Hey, is this Red Velvet?”

“Yeah!” Jisu says. “They’re the standard for summer music.”

Ryujin claps a hand down on Jisu’s shoulder. “I think I love you.” 

Jisu startles, nearly tripping over her own feet on the street. She feels herself flush, cheeks burning even though she knows Ryujin is just joking. She laughs, and it comes out a bit strained, but Ryujin’s smile is so genuine it makes everything a little easier. “I take it that means you like them too?”

Ryujin nods, more enthusiastic than Jisu could’ve dared hope. “Red Velvet are sapphic icons and I love them and love you for also loving them.”

Jisu tries to calm the blush rising in her cheeks, and smiles. “Thanks,” she says, “I feel like we’re gonna get along great.”

Ryujin mirrors her smile, and nods. “I think you’re right.”

They lapse into silence, infinitely more comfortable than before, and let Jisu’s playlist wash over them. They walk all the way to the end of the main road, and turn off onto a smaller street- a shortcut that will lead them to the park they can cut across to get to the general store from the back. Going through the park also means Jisu can show Ryujin the river and the bright green trees with benches under them.

“You’re like a tour guide,” Ryujin laughs as Jisu bounces on her heels in her excitement to show Ryujin everything.

“Ah, does it seem silly to be so worked up about such a small place?” Jisu asks, glancing away from the blinding sky as they walk through the park grass together. Her arm remains outstretched, pointing to the benches, even as she turns to face Ryujin again. “I’m sure there are cooler things in the world than this.”

“Are you kidding?” Ryujin says, emphatic, “I love this energy! You’re giving me more about this town than the tour guides in New York City did when my brother and I went. It’s incredible!”

“Oh.” Jisu feels herself flush again, hopes she can blame it on the sun shining down on them now that they’ve left the cover of trees. “Thanks. Maybe you just got a bad tour guide, though?”

Ryujin shrugs. “Or you just really love this place, and it shows.”

Jisu sucks her lower lip into her mouth to try and stifle a smile. She looks straight ahead again, taking in the small park, the bank of the river just coming into view. “I do,” she admits. “I actually chose a college near the coast so I could be closer to here, visit on long weekends and stuff. So I guess I actually will find out what there is to do here in the winter, like you asked about before.”

“That’s sweet,” Ryujin says. 

Jisu casts her a side glance and smiles, a bit shy about being so open, but she figures it’s only fair since Ryujin has told her so much about her own life. Besides, there’s something about Ryujin that makes the conversation feel easy. “Thanks,” Jisu finds herself saying again. “What about you? Do you have any plans for the next year?”

“I want to travel and work, get some real living done before I hole up in a dorm and spend the next four years there. Also maybe figure out what I even want to  _ do  _ in college. Everyone says you’re supposed to just go to school and figure it out along the way, but I’d rather spend a year trying to figure it out without dropping a couple dozen grand on it. I guess I want to see if I can  _ find myself  _ or some other coming of age cliche, and have a little fun. School isn’t  _ really  _ my favorite thing.”

Jisu nods, looks to Ryujin with a bit of admiration. “That’s brave,” she says.

“That code for stupid?” Ryujin asks, voice coming out dry.

“No!” Jisu insists. “I really mean it. It takes guts to go against what everyone expects of you and follow your instincts when they tell you something else will be better for you. I think that’s really impressive.”

The line of Ryujin’s shoulders relaxes and she offers Jisu another smile. “Thanks, Jisu. I really appreciate that.” She considers Jisu for a moment. “You’re sweet,” she says, still with a small smile tugging at her lips. “I wish we’d met back in school and had more time to get to know each other.”

Jisu wonders if she’s blushing  _ again  _ or if she’d just never stopped. Why is Ryujin such a smooth talker? “That would have been nice,” Jisu agrees. “I’m glad we at least met here, though. Even though I guess it would’ve been better if you’d never had to come here in the first place. If your dad wasn’t such an ass.” The words fall from her lips before she can stop them, and she realizes belatedly that she might have crossed a line. “Sorry, am I allowed to say that? I probably shouldn’t have.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Ryujin says, almost laughing. “It’s the truth. But you’re right, I’m glad we could meet here, even if it was only because of my dad being like  _ that _ . Gotta just make the most of it, right?”

“Yeah,” Jisu says. “Look at life sunny side up.”

“I hope that’s on your playlist,” Ryujin says. “Sunny side up, I mean. It’s not totally the same vibe but man is it a good song.”

Jisu laughs at the easy segway back into simpler conversation. “I can add it to the queue.”

“You’re an angel,” Ryujin says.

If Jisu blushes  _ again  _ while pulling up the song on her phone, that’s  _ her  _ business and hers alone. She can blame it on the sun.

They reach the river, sound of running water washing over the music playing from Jisu’s phone speaker, but she doesn’t feel compelled to turn it up. She walks up to the bank and looks down at the sparkling water, feeling Ryujin come to a standstill beside her, admiring the view as well.

“I can see why you like this so much,” Ryujin says after a moment of nothing but the soft sound of the river water flowing. Her voice is low, like she doesn’t want to disturb the peace. Jisu appreciates it more than she expects to. “It’s so calm here. I feel like all the tension is just  _ poof _ , leaving my shoulders. Like I’m getting a back massage from mother nature.”

Jisu laughs lightly, glancing up at Ryujin to see her face open and contemplative as she looks at the water. There’s a small smile, almost just  _ contentment _ , gracing her lips. Jisu can’t help but think that she looks awfully pretty like this, with dappled light reflecting off the river dancing across her face. 

“I’m glad you like it here too,” Jisu says. “It’s nice to share it. Especially with someone who appreciates it.”

“Thank you for sharing it with me,” Ryujin says earnestly. She looks up from the water and meets Jisu’s eyes. “You’re making this whole day a hell of a lot nicer than I expected. Than it has any right to be, honestly. Thank you.”

A smile tugs at Jisu’s lips, and she feels compelled to reach out and touch Ryujin’s arm - just a gentle, fleeting brush of her fingers - to show some form of support. “Thanks for letting me. I’m really glad I could help.”

They stand there, Jisu’s music playing quietly under the sound of the flowing river, wrapped in some kind of serene bubble of sunlight and the smell of salt water. Jisu smiles at Ryujin and Ryujin smiles right back, and Jisu knows it’s probably silly, but everything feels  _ right _ . The loneliness, the emptiness, the  _ possibility  _ that she’s used to feeling in this town suddenly feels…  _ full _ . She thinks that maybe Ryujin’s stormy morning has brought about a rainbow for the two of them, now that the skies are clearer and the sun is shining. 

The moment lingers, long and drawn out, until the song on Jisu’s phone ends and a brighter, louder bubblegum one starts, and the air settles around them, the spell broken.

“This Taylor Swift?” Ryujin asks.

Jisu nods. “Please tell me you’re not a hater.”

Ryujin’s eyes widen. “Not at all! If I was I think it would only be appropriate for you to push me into the river. Who  _ actually  _ has an axe to grind with her music when it’s  _ that  _ good?”

Jisu lets out a relieved breath, and it turns into a laugh. “I know, right? But there are some people who hate it just because it’s popular, so.”

“I think we’ve established that people are stupid,” Ryujin says with half a laugh of her own.

“You’re right.” Jisu smiles as Ryujin. “Not  _ all  _ people though.” 

Ryujin catches her eyes and grins. “Yeah. Not all people.”

Warmth curls in Jisu’s chest, and  _ shit _ , maybe Felix was right. Maybe there is something happening here after all.

Jisu and Ryujin make it to the general store, circling around the sun-baked sidewalk to reach the front of the shop, and Jisu leads Ryujin in, showing her around the place and pointing her in the direction of the food. While Ryujin goes off in search of something to tide herself over for the day, Jisu locates a pack of popsicle sticks for her lemonade project, then meanders to the candy section to grab a dollar's worth of lollipops for Felix.

Once Jisu has all she needs, she heads to the check-out counter to pay, and then, small paper bag in hand, goes in search of Ryujin. Jisu has to wander deep into the store to find Ryujin, one arm crossed over her chest, knuckles pressed into her lips, foot tapping on the hardwood floor as she stares down a display of taffy.

"You think this counts as food?" Jisu asks, coming up to stand just off to Ryujin's side.

Ryujin glances her way. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for sweets. Especially pretty ones." There seems to be a weight to her words that Jisu does her best to explain away with the fact that she's probably hungry.

"Well, I can't argue with that," Jisu says, "but maybe something else?" She leans in closer, so she can speak lowly and just for Ryujin to hear. "There are better sweets in town than the taffy, if you ask me."

Ryujin's hands fall down to her hips and she levels Jisu with a stare. "Oh yeah?" It doesn't quite sound like a  _ challenge _ ... but it's something similar.

Jisu bites down on the inside of her cheek and nods. "There's an ice cream shop next door, and if you're not a fan of that, I'm making popsicles when I get back home. Also, there's a whole cheap candy section back that way." She points over her shoulder with her thumb. "So... lots of options for your sweet tooth."

Ryujin hums, considering, as she continues to look at Jisu, eyes sweeping over her face. "You're right. I think there's something else I'd rather have for sweets. But for actual food... maybe this place doesn't quite have what I'm looking for." She pauses, tilting her head. "You said there was a diner or something nearby, right?"

"Yeah!" Jisu says, hoping the enthusiasm will cover up the slight buzz she's getting from what she thinks might be Ryujin flirting with her. "Want me to take you there?"

"Please," Ryujin says, dipping her head in a nod.

Jisu takes Ryujin's forearm in her free hand and turns on her heel, leading the way back out of the shop. "JJ's is right down the road," she tells Ryujin as they cross the floor and head for the door.

"You sure you don't need to head back to the B&B?" Ryujin asks, though she follows where Jisu goes and makes no move to remove her arm from Jisu's hold.

"Perks of being essentially unpaid help," Jisu says, "I get a pretty good amount of leeway when I want. Besides, it's not like I'm just screwing around- I'm helping a  _ guest _ ." She tosses a smile over her shoulder to Ryujin. "Can you leave me a good yelp review?"

Ryujin laughs as they step out the shop doors and back into the muggy air and sunshine that greets them on the large deck that wraps around the front of the building. "Sure. I'll give you a great review."

The two of them set off down the short row of creaking wooden stairs and onto the sidewalk, Jisu letting Ryujin's wrist go so she can point behind them at the scoop shop, then ahead to say, "We're heading a couple minutes this way."

"Got it," Ryujin affirms.

Without Jisu's music playing anymore - she'd paused the playlist when they reached the general store - silence should hang between them, fill the air with a bit of discomfort, but Jisu finds that's not the case at all. Being with Ryujin just feels  _ easy _ . Simple.

"You know in like, elementary school, how you could meet someone on the first day and just  _ decide  _ to be friends, without any of the preamble we all have now?" Ryujin asks, like she's somehow reading Jisu's mind.

Jisu shrugs. "I never  _ totally  _ had that because I moved around so much when I was a kid so I had a little trouble making friends, but I think I know what you mean. Why?"

"Ah, right," Ryujin says. "Well, this reminds me of that."

"What? Instant friendship?" Jisu asks.

"Yeah," Ryujin nods. "Or like... speed dating?"

Jisu makes a sound she's not entirely proud of, and slaps herself in the chest like she's trying to stop herself from choking. Real smooth stuff. "I guess you could say that," she wheezes.

"Before I write my review," Ryujin says, like she hasn't just dropped the metaphorical bomb of  _ speed dating _ , "are you this generous with all your guests, or just the cute ones?"

Jisu glances at her to find a small smile on Ryujin's face, shyer than she'd expected, considering how notably  _ not shy _ Ryujin's been thus far. She decides to take a chance on that look. Jisu purses her lips and hums, pretending to think. "Hm," she says, tapping her cheek, "I don't know if it'd be good business to admit to that, but off the record, yeah, all this is just for you."

The shy smile on Ryujin's face grows, and she looks  _ oh  _ so pretty. "I wish every time I fought with my dad the universe sent me to someone as sweet as you to make up for it. I'd do it way more often."

Jisu makes a face caught between a smile and a grimace, not entirely sure what the proper way to respond to such a layered statement. Ryujin sees, and laughs apologetically.

"Sorry, the gen z humor is a little fucked up, I know. Gotta cope somehow though, right?" Ryujin's smile seems genuine despite the bitter-sweetness of the statement, so Jisu offers her a small smile in return, touches her arm lightly to convey silent support once again. "I get it," she says, "I make jokes like that too, but usually not when anyone's around to hear, so I'm not totally sure how to respond. Or if there is a way to."

"Yeah," Ryujin sighs, "I guess it's tricky. How about we segue to something easier."

Jisu laughs. "I don't know if that's how segues work."

"Just roll with it," Ryujin stage whispers.

Jisu smiles. "Sure. So, what are you thinking of getting at the diner?"

Ryujin rubs her hands together, an excited glint in her eyes. "I've got plenty of ideas."

After leaving the diner with Ryujin's takeaway bag of food - she got pancakes and eggs, because isn't that a healthy diner? - the two of them begin the trip back through town to the bed and breakfast. Ryujin's bag is plastic, and crinkles differently than Jisu's, but the sounds work together, an odd pair making some mundane form of music while the girls swing their arms back and forth.

"You can use our fridge to store your food if you don't want to eat it right away," Jisu offers. "I can show you to the kitchen when we get back."

"Thanks," Ryujin says. "Are you gonna be heading that way anyway to make your popsicles?"

Jisu nods. "Yeah. Just have to make a pit stop at the farm next door to see if they have any fruit for us. I was thinking of making some kind of berry lemonade and freezing that in our molds. When the weather is  _ this  _ hot” - she wipes sweat off her brow with the back of her hand as if to drive the point home - “frozen treats are always nice.”

"Oh, yeah," Ryujin says, "that sounds incredible right about now." She pauses a moment. "You need any help with that? Is it, like, allowed? For me to help you, I mean."

Jisu casts a sidelong glance Ryujin's way. "You'd want to spend more of your afternoon helping me in the kitchen?"

Ryujin shrugs, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. "Not like I have anything better to do. Besides, I like you, and I want to find some way to thank you for being so nice to me. I figure- you've helped me already, why not return the favor?"

Jisu smiles, knocks her elbow into Ryujin's side. "Thanks, Ryujin. If you want to, I'd love to have your help. You're fun to spend time with."

Ryujin finally looks her way, small smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah? You too."

Jisu doesn't say it, and Ryujin doesn't either, but it feels like there's an unspoken  _ I'd like to spend as much time as I can with you before we have to part ways.  _ Like the silent words have power, the air seems to grow thicker than even the humidity can manage. Jisu thinks, wildly, that if they weren't both carrying bags, they might hold hands.

"Do you want me to start up the music again?" Jisu asks, almost to distract herself from that slippery slope train of thought.

Ryujin looks back to the road stretching out in front of them, pavement fillings shining like fresh oil in the bright sunlight. "Do you have any Troye Sivan on your phone?"

Jisu nearly scoffs at the idea that she might not. "Who do you take me for? Of course I do." She's already tugging her phone from her pocket and thumming towards his artist icon. For some reason, she doesn't feel the need to ask if Ryujin has a song request, because she already knows which song will be perfect.

The song starts up, and Ryujin grins so wide, her face seems to glow in the afternoon light. "Have I mentioned that I love you?"

"Once," Jisu says. "I wouldn't object to hearing it again."

Ryujin laughs. Birds sing in the trees, a tune separate from the music on Jisu's phone, but just as lovely, and in the near distance, waves crash against the shore. Jisu looks at Ryujin, and impossibly, all feels right in the world.

They make it back to the bed and breakfast with only a slight delay halfway through the trip because Ryujin spots a cardinal in the trees by the road and they both stop to admire it for a few minutes before it finally flies away. Jisu leads the way up the gravel drive, and they stop at the door to slip out of their shoes before stepping through the door.

"You were gone for a while," Felix, still on desk duty, notes, sending a meaningful look Jisu's way as she heads for the staff room while Ryujin slides back into her slippers by the door.

"Yeah," Jisu says, "had to stop at the diner for food."

As she passes Felix on the way to the back room, she hears him mutter,  _ had to _ ? just low enough for her to hear. She summons up her worst  _ I will end you  _ glare, and passes him by without gracing him with a response. She sets her bag down long enough to swap her shoes for work slippers, then turns right back around to meet Ryujin, idling by the front window, and point her in the direction of the kitchen.

Ryujin starts towards the kitchen door, and Jisu throws a  _ look  _ at Felix over her shoulder before following. Felix mouths  _ what did I say?  _ to her, and  _ winks  _ like the cheeky bastard he can be when he wants to, so Jisu just throws his lollipops at him from across the room and pretends not to have seen.

Inside the kitchen, there's a long metal table, and on one side of it lies the industrial fridge and freezer, and on the other lies the stove. At the far end of the kitchen is the sink and dishwasher (which they only ever use if the breakfasts end up packed).

"Which is the fridge?" Ryujin asks, two steps ahead of Jisu and looking at the seemingly identical appliances curiously.

"Right," Jisu answers, right on Ryujin's heels as she tugs the door open and deposits her bagged meal in a free space on one of the shelves.

As soon as Ryujin closes the door again, Jisu squeezes in between Ryujin and the table to get to the freezer. She sets her bag on the tabletop behind her and yanks the stubborn freezer door open so she can get to the pile of lemonade concentrate inside. She pulls it all out at once, and dumps it with less grace than intended onto the table beside her bag.

"Woah," Ryujin says, staring at it all. "How many popsicles are we making?"

Jisu laughs. "We'll make as much as we have the molds for, and the rest will end up just as lemonade. That's why I'm going to head next door to ask for fruit- so we can sweeten it up so it's not just the watered-down concentrate."

"Smart and beautiful," Ryujin sighs, dramatized but genuine.

Jisu bites down on her lip to keep from replying with any of the embarrassing first thoughts that come to her mind. "The popsicles were my aunt's idea, though. Can't take all the credit on this one."

Ryujin shrugs. "Details."

"They're important," Jisu says, but she can feel her cheeks heating up. Maybe, just maybe, she got sunburned and isn't just blushing again. The undeterred, satisfied look on Ryujin's face tells her that's probably not the case, but a girl can dream.

"Can you push the bag out of the way and start opening the tubes while I grab jugs?" Jisu asks, stepping away and heading for the storage next to the freezer.

"Yup, no problem," Ryujin says.

While Jisu squats and sticks her head into one of the cupboards, she can hear Ryujin shuffling the tubes around on the long table, shucking the lids off. After a minute of digging, Jisu pulls out two large jugs, and closes the cupboard with her heel as she turns towards the sink and rinses the jugs out to make sure there's no dust in the lemonade they're about to make. She shakes the water out of the jugs, and then sets them down on the stainless steel top of the table.

"If you want to pass me the open ones, I can start dumping."

"Aye aye, captain!" Ryujin chants, sliding the opened tubes across the tabletop so Jisu can reach them.

One by one, Jisu empties out the containers of slush into the jugs, and she and Ryujin establish an easy working dynamic together. Ryujin finishes opening all the containers, and while Jisu finishes dumping them into the jugs, Ryujin clears up the empties and disposes of them. In what feels like no time at all, both jugs are full of the frozen concentrate, and Jisu is stepping back to survey their work. 

“We’re gonna need another jug… maybe two when we water it down and add the fruit, but for now, we can just let them sit and thaw,” she tells Ryujin, who’s watching her for their next move.

“You really do know what you’re doing, huh?” Ryujin asks. “First this morning when you checked me in, then at the park earlier, now all this- are you always this good?”

“Please,” Jisu laughs, “it’s only because I’ve done this stuff before, so it feels simple. That’s the only reason I can come across so breezy and assured here. It’s my comfort zone.”

Ryujin makes a sound of understanding. “I get it. Practice makes perfect and all that.”

Jisu sends her a small smile. “Yeah, exactly. I’m still working on bringing this energy to everything else.”

“I’m sure you’ll get there,” Ryujin says.

"Thanks," Jisu says, because Ryujin sounds like she really means it.

Ryujin answers with a smile, and for a moment Jisu gets so caught up in the sight that she forgets they're in the middle of a project. She snaps back to it when one of the ice chunks in the jug nearest to her shifts, knocking into the plastic and drawing her focus to the task at hand once again. She claps her hands together, refocusing herself.

"I need to go get the berries," she says. "You want in or-"

Ryujin nods right away, before Jisu even gets the chance to finish her question. "Yeah," she answers, "I'd love to go see the gardens!"

"Great," Jisu says. "Let's go, then!"

Next door, back in their proper shoes again, Jisu leads Ryujin to a side gate - all white paint with a few chips and stains here and there - and surprises her by simply swinging it open and stepping through.

"You can just go into their yard like this?" Ryujin asks.

"Yeah, all the locals who come here regularly do. It's totally fine as long as it's during their open hours!"

"Wow, this really  _ is  _ some sort of storybook place."

Jisu laughs lightly in agreement, and they carry on over to the spot nearby where one of the owners - a lovely old lady who's been here as long as Jisu can remember, enjoying her retirement - has set up a lawn chair, umbrella, and card table.

"Miss Jisu!" The owner calls with a wave as she spots Jisu and Ryujin approaching.

Jisu smiles and waves back. "Hi, Shelly!"

"Shelly?" Ryujin whispers, sounding a bit dumbfounded.

"She's kinda a hippie," Jisu whispers back. "It's short for Michelle, and everyone calls her that because this is a beach town and she thinks it's funny."

Ryujin makes a sound of understanding as they draw closer.

"Who's your friend?" Shelly asks, giving Ryujin a once-over.

"Ryujin," she answers, settling her hand on Ryujin's shoulder. "She's a guest tonight, but we sort-of know each other from back home, too."

Ryujin offers Shelly a small smile, and Shelly practically beams at her. "Lovely," she says. "What can I do for you two ladies today?"

"Well," Jisu says, "we're making lemonade and were wondering if you've got any berries to spare."

Shelly looks away to gesture to the sprawling garden with both her arms. "Have I got any berries," she laughs, standing up from her lawn chair and stepping out of the umbrella's shade. "I've got  _ all  _ the berries. What do you girls fancy?"

"Whatever's easiest," Jisu answers. "Whatever you've got excess of is perfect."

"Well," Shelly points towards a wall of bushes by one of the far fences, "that would be blueberries, love. They're right in season right now."

Jisu and Ryujin exchange a glance, and somehow, Jisu can see that Ryujin is thinking the same thing she is. They both smile.

"Looks like we're making blue lemonade."

After filling a few paper cartons with blueberries plucked right from the bushes, Jisu tries to pay Shelly for the fruit, only to get a laugh and a head-shake for her troubles. "Just bring over some of that lemonade when you're done," Shelly instructs. "That's all I need this time."

"All right," Jisu agrees. "We'll be back in a bit, then."

"Looking forward to it," Shelly says as she shoos them away. "Have fun, you two!"

"We will," Jisu says.

"Thank you!" Ryujin calls over her shoulder as they leave out the same garden gate they'd come in through.

Shelly just smiles and waves until they're out of sight, and Jisu closes the gate behind them as they make for the bed and breakfast again.

"What a strange, fun woman," Ryujin murmurs.

Jisu laughs. "Yeah, she's cool. I feel like she's the kind of woman people write songs about."

"Oh, yeah," Ryujin agrees, "or make movies about."

Jisu nods. "Exactly."

They're nearly to the gravel drive again when Ryujin's phone starts buzzing in her pocket. She tugs it free with the hand she doesn't have clutched around a blueberry carton, and checks the screen.

"Ah," she says softly, "it's my brother."

"I'll head in and give you some privacy," Jisu says. "Come on in whenever you're ready. Or not- that's fine too if you need space. You know where I'll be."

"Thanks," Ryujin says, swiping her thumb across the screen to accept the call. "I'll see you in there."

Jisu nods as Ryujin lifts the phone to her ear and says hello, and she treks across the lawn and up to the house on her own, while Ryujin lingers behind, toeing at pebbles in the driveway. She steps into the house, and finds Felix twirling an unopened lollipop between his fingers as he sits behind the main desk, trying not to look bored.

Felix looks up as Jisu comes inside and swaps footwear again. "Where's your girl friend?"

"Taking a call," Jisu says. She considers leaving it at that, and just going straight to the kitchen to rinse the blueberries and get back to work, but there's no one around, and Felix looks like he's in desperate need of entertainment or a distraction, so Jisu walks over to the desk instead of to the kitchen.

Felix perks up. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asks as Jisu comes to a stop in front of him, leaning on the side of the desk and looking down at him in the chair he brought over.

Instead of dignifying the question with an answer, Jisu cuts straight to the point. "Is it really stupid if I maybe kind of have a crush on her?"

Felix sits up straight in his chair, interest peaked. "Not at all! Why? Do you?"

Jisu glances back at the door, and thinks about how all she really wants is for Ryujin to walk in through it and smile, for them to make lemonade and popsicles together. "I think so," she admits.

Felix grins. "So I was  _ right _ !"

Jisu rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, sure. It's not just 'cause she's pretty, though. I feel like we're really clicking. It just sucks because she's going through family stuff right now and she's probably leaving tomorrow and then I probably won't even see her again. I feel like an idiot for thinking about catching feelings when this is all just  _ temporary,  _ you know?"

"Oh," Felix says, voice turning a little more serious. "I get that. That's hard."

"Yeah," Jisu sighs.

"Well, if you're asking for my advice, I'd say just go for it anyway. Everyone's always talking about how it's better to have loved and lost, and do you  _ know  _ how many songs there are about summer romances? Or about doomed romances that people still go into because it's better to feel something while you can than to always wonder what could have happened? Because you never know if things might change, if they might work out somehow, and even if they don't, you still get to experience the thrill of it all before it ends, and you'll always have the memories, you know? Isn't that what all the songs are about? Following your heart and just trying?"

Jisu lets out a low whistle. "Damn, Lix," she says, "when did you become a romance philosopher?"

"The year was 2012," Felix says, grinning despite the seriousness he's trying to inject into his voice. "The album was titled  _ Red." _

Jisu laughs. "Taylor Swift strikes again."

"She does indeed," Felix says. "Her music makes me feel things."

"Her music makes all of us feel things," Jisu agrees.

"Damn straight. So listen to the music icons and just go for it if you want to," Felix says.

Jisu considers for a moment. "You're right- I think I will." She holds out a fist for a fistbump. "Thanks."

Felix knocks their knuckles together and grins. "Anytime." 

As Jisu collects her blueberry cartons again and turns away from the desk, the door opens and Ryujin steps inside.

"Hey," Ryujin nods in greeting, though she's only been gone a few minutes.

"Hey. How'd it go?" Jisu asks.

"All right," Ryujin says, smiling a little. "He just wanted to make sure I was still alive and kicking."

"That's good," Jisu says, a wisp of relief swirling in her chest. She holds up her blueberry cartons. "You still want to?"

"Of course," Ryujin answers, lifting up her own carton. "Let's do it!"

Returning to the kitchen, they fall back into teamwork easily. Jisu scrounges up a strainer and they pour all the berries into it, and while Ryujin rinses them clean, Jisu produces another two jugs from the very back of one of the cupboards, and swishes water through them both before setting them on the table by the others.

Ryujin shakes the water out of the strainer, and places it on the table as well. "So," she says, "what's the plan?"

"I'm thinking we crush maybe two thirds of the berries to mix in, and the rest can garnish and be like, fun bites in the popsicles?"

"That sounds good to me," Ryujin says.

"Awesome. You can dump most of that into this jug-" she slides the smallest one closer to Ryujin "-and I'll get something we can crush them with."

As Ryujin follows her instructions, Jisu retrieves a cup that might not be the ideal tool for the job, but will certainly get it done regardless. She sets to mushing berries, and points Ryujin to the other three jugs. "Pour half of that one into the empty one, and then you can water them both down. We'll do the third one once we get the berries sorted and this jug is free."

"Got it," Ryujin says, executing the plan with grace and ease.

By the time Jisu is done crushing the blueberries into pulp, Ryujin has gotten her two jugs primed and ready. All Jisu has to do then is section up the berry mush and dump it into the lemonade mix.

At first, the blue-white remains of the berries all sink slowly to the bottom, but once Jisu snags a long spoon and stirs the drinks around a bit, the berries start to distribute more evenly, dancing through the faintly swirling water like snowflakes caught in the wind. It's not exactly picture-perfect, but the frozen concentrate hasn't melted all the way yet, so Jisu doesn't expect it to be perfect. It's good enough for the moment, and that's what counts.

"Okay," Jisu says, eyeing the two jugs, "I think all we need to do now is heat it up so we can add in the sugar and make sure it's all mixed right."

"Yeah," Ryujin agrees, "I can't think of anything else."

So Jisu breaks out two large pots, and cranks up the stovetop, and soon she and Ryujin are both watching the lemonade start to bubble. While the lemonade comes to a soft boil, Jisu and Ryujin prepare the second pair of jugs, and when they're done with that, the pots on the stove are ready for their attention again.

Jisu eyeballs the sugar, much to Ryujin's surprise and amusement, and both of them slowly stir their pots until Jisu deems them done, and shuts off the heat.

"Right," Jisu says, "while those cool down, we can set up the popsicle molds. I know we won't be able to pour for a while still, but we've got the time now, so why not get it out of the way, right?"

"On top of it again," Ryujin says with a smile. "I love a woman in power."

Jisu laughs lightly, a bit embarrassed, but she doesn't shake off the comment. Together they cover one whole end of the stainless steel table with the popsicle supplies, standing up all the molds and setting wooden sticks in each of them to make sure they have enough.

When all is said and done, they have a fine - if a bit messy - looking spread in front of them.

It’s easy, from there, to pour the mixed and cooled lemonade back into the two empty jugs, then replace it on the stove with the second batch and do it all over again while the rest of the lemonade cools the rest of the way off in the fridge. They chat while they work, talking about everything from music to old memories from school, to what their summers have been like so far, and more.

Time seems to pass so quickly with Ryujin, full of life and laughter, but slipping away like water running through Jisu's fingers. Sugar sweet, but dissolving like the very sugar in their lemonade.

When they've finally finished mixing everything, and the last of the lemonade is cooling in the pots on the stove, Jisu checks the first two jugs in the fridge, and deems them the right temperature for pouring the popsicle molds.

"This is gonna be a two-person job, all right?" Jisu says as she pulls one of the jugs out of the fridge, letting it fall shut behind her as she walks over to Ryujin and sets the jug down just shy of their spread of molds.

"Okay," Ryujin says, nodding. "Do you need me to hold up the molds so it's easier to pour without spilling?"

"Yeah, exactly. Can you put all the sticks in that cup-" she angles her head towards the cup she'd used to crush the berries "-because they'll just fall over if we put them in now before the juice has hardened at all."

"For sure." Ryujin does as Jisu asks and then picks up the first of the popsicle molds and holds it up over the table, right where it'll be easiest for Jisu to pour into it.

The first time, with the jug nearly filled to the brim, it's a bit harder than Jisu expects to pour smoothly, and she spills a little bit, but Ryujin just laughs it off. "I'm sure there are sponges somewhere in this big kitchen, right? We'll clean it up no problem."

Jisu smiles to show her appreciation, tries not to think about how she'd be  _ very  _ open to kissing Ryujin now, and focuses on a cleaner next pour.

They have about two dozen molds, so it doesn't take much time to get through all of them, and even though Jisu's only been filling the molds two-thirds of the way (liquids expand when they freeze, after all, and they need to leave room for the loose berries as well) when they get to the very last pour, there's still a knuckle-sized layer of lemonade still sitting at the bottom of the jug.

"Damn," Ryujin says as she sets the final mold down on the tabletop, "you are  _ not  _ gonna run out of this stuff any time soon."

"Yeah," Jisu laughs, "I'm planning on just making more popsicles after these all get eaten. Unlimited supply of summer snacks."

"Smart, smart," Ryujin nods appreciatively. "Should we get these in the freezer, then? Sooner they're solid, the sooner we can have at 'em, right?"

"Right. I like where your head's at," Jisu says.

Ryujin grins, and together, they move the popsicle molds into the freezer, rearranging things inside until everything fits. Jisu pours the little bit of lemonade left in the nearly empty jug into one of the other three, and empties the pans on the stovetop back into the jugs as well, and then everything goes back into the fridge.

With all their work stored away, Jisu sets to washing everything they've dirtied, and Ryujin wipes down the tabletop, and before they know it, the whole kitchen appears to be entirely back to the way they found it.

For a moment, all Jisu feels is deep satisfaction at the job done, but then Ryujin pats her stomach and says, "Man, I really worked up an appetite doing all that," and Jisu realizes she no longer has any excuse to keep spending time with Ryujin.

Something deflates in her chest as she looks at Ryujin and says, "You should eat now! I have to go back to work for a little while anyway while the popsicles harden."

Jisu doesn't think she's seeing things or imagining it when Ryujin's face seems to fall ever so slightly. "Oh, right," she says. "I almost forgot this was your job."

Jisu laughs, and it comes out a little flat, and she's about to throw in the towel and accept the fleetingness of this, when she remembers Felix's encouragement. She takes a second to think about all the love songs she's spent hours and hours listening to, thinks about countless people singing that it's worth it to try, and then she's opening her mouth and speaking before she even really knows what she's doing.

"Hey, do you want to go to the beach together- after the popsicles are done? We can bring Shelly her lemonade and then it's just a little farther down the road to get to the water. I said I’d take you, didn’t I?"

Like magic, Ryujin's face lights up and brightens again. "I would love that!"

Jisu smiles, full and for real this time. "Awesome," she says. "I'll just come by your room when everything's ready?"

"Sounds great," Ryujin says. "I'll see you later, then."

"Yeah." Jisu can't tear the smile off her face. "I'll see you soon."

Jisu spends the next few hours burying herself in the usual chores, going through the motions.

When she breaks for dinner with Felix just before sunset, they talk briefly about Ryujin, before Jisu redirects the conversation so Felix can go on and on about some boy from his college who he's been texting, making summer plans with. Jisu is happy to hear him talk with so much energy, with light dancing in his eyes - even if he forgets his table manners once or twice in his excitement - and something about his stories solidifies a feeling of determination coursing through her.

Once the sky is painted pink and gold out the windows, and Jisu's caught up on all her duties, she pokes her head into her aunt's office to tell her she's going out for a little bit (this earns her a curious look, but an easy nod nonetheless) and then makes her way towards Ryujin's room. She knocks - three quick raps - and then steps back, waiting.

In a moment, the door swings open.

"Hey, Jisu," Ryujin says with a smile. "We still on for the beach?"

"You bet," Jisu tells her. "Let's go grab the goods and we can head out."

"Sounds like a plan," Ryujin says, stepping out of her room and closing it up behind herself. "I've been thinking about those popsicles since I finished eating my... does it count as dinner?"

"It does if you want it to, I think," Jisu answers with half a laugh. "The important part is that it was food and you ate it."

"Right you are," Ryujin says as they reach the stairs and head down to the first floor.

They're only in the kitchen for a minute or two, wrestling a popsicle each free from their molds and then snagging the smallest jug of lemonade, stirring it a bit so that the loose berries float throughout and don't simply stay at the bottom.

Then they're off to the house next door, greeting Shelly just before garden visiting hours are over, offering her the lemonade as promised. She thanks them with a gleam in her eyes as she sees the popsicles clutched in their hands, and sends them off with a smile. This time when they leave, though, they don't head back to the bed and breakfast, but further down the road instead.

Ryujin takes a bite out of her popsicle and makes an appreciative noise. "I know the loose berries we put in these all sank to the bottom, but damn, they're still a great addition to the overall flavor. Something about frozen fruit just hits different, you know?"

Jisu pops her own popsicle out of her mouth to agree. "Absolutely. The texture's kinda weird, but it works."

Ryujin hums and goes back to eating, so Jisu does as well, and their walk to the beach is short and silent for the most part. When they finally reach the turn-off from the road and onto the beach, though, Ryujin breaks the silence again.

"Holy shit," she breathes, "it's so pretty here with the sunset."

Jisu smiles, proud of the beauty of this place, though she knows it's not her own. "Yeah," she says. "I'm glad you got to see it. Sunrise is also gorgeous, 'cause you can see the sun literally rise out of the ocean, but this is just as nice in its own way. The colors are so bright."

"Rich," Ryujin supplies, following Jisu through a patch of grass that gives way to the wooden steps leading down to the sandy shore. "This is the kind of thing you paint."

"Exactly," Jisu says. "I've seen people do that before- come here to paint I mean. It's always really beautiful."

"That's super cool," Ryujin says.

"Yeah," Jisu agrees, stepping down the first stair towards the sand and smiling at the creaking of the old wood underfoot, "I love art and aesthetically pleasing stuff like that. I guess that's kind of superficial, isn't it? Liking pretty things?"

"Well, why do you like them?" Ryujin asks. "Just because they look nice?"

Jisu considers, feet hitting the last step before she jumps into the sand and kicks off her sandals. "I like the way they make me feel. Invigorated, inspired, I don't know. Sometimes it's like I just feel everything at once, you know? Sunset could be peaceful or make me want to run wild, or both at the same time. There's layers to it. Onions and  _ Shrek  _ and all that."

Ryujin laughs, full and bright. "I don't think that's shallow at all. Besides-" she touches Jisu's arm to pull her focus away from the sunset for a moment "-I totally get what you're talking about. I like pretty things that make me feel something too." There's a weight in her eyes when she says this that makes Jisu feel like she's diving headfirst into the ocean and letting herself get swept out to sea by the currents.

"Cool," Jisu says weakly, sticking her popsicle back into her mouth so she doesn't embarrass herself by saying anything silly like  _ you're pretty and make me feel things,  _ or something along those lines.

Ryujin smiles and turns away, looking at the sky again, so Jisu does the same, and they stand there in the sand together, finishing their melting popsicles and admiring the sunset casting the whole beach in shades of candy pink.

When Jisu finishes the last of her dessert, she tosses the stick back into the grass (it's wooden- totally compostable!) and a minute later, Ryujin does the same.

"What now?" Ryujin asks, glancing at Jisu. "You wanna stick around and keep your promise about showing me around the beach, or are you not a fan of the dark? 'Cause I don't want to keep you here if you don't want to stay."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Jisu assures her. "I want to. I don't have any problem with the dark, really. Especially when I'm not alone. Besides, the beach is pretty at night too, so I'd love to hang out here with you. The weather's finally not just shy of hell, and there's no one else out, so win-win, you know?"

Ryujin smiles. "Yeah. I like that we're alone. And I don't mean that in a bad slasher movie way. More of a... bad romcom way."

Jisu is glad that the sky is burning red, that the light left over from the sun is faint and tinted, because otherwise she's sure Ryujin would be able to see the full force of the blush taking over Jisu's face, and that would only make her flush more. "You're the most forward girl I've ever met," Jisu says, still looking resolutely at the line of crimson where the skyline touches the sea on the horizon. "But I like it. And I feel the same."

Out of the corner of her eye, Jisu can see Ryujin grin. "The same as in somehow just a little bit smitten for a cute sapphic girl you just met?"

Jisu's lips curl into a shy smile. "Yeah."

"Awesome," Ryujin says. "This is almost like a date, then."

Jisu nods. "I guess it is. We've even got the moonlight and everything." She points to the moon rising over the trees back near the way they came.

"Wow," Ryujin breathes, eyes following Jisu's arm and landing on the moon.

For a few minutes, the moon glows silver in contrast to the fading pink hues of sunset, and Jisu and Ryujin stand in silence as a light breeze flutters through the air, and they soak in the sight. When the color has drained from the sky, leaving nothing but wispy clouds and a pale blue blanket over everything, growing darker by the second, Ryujin finally looks to Jisu again.

"So, what are your plans when August ends? I know you said you're heading off to school, but what're you doing there? Any idea or are you just doing it because it's what's done?"

Jisu looks away from the sky and lets her eyes settle on Ryujin, lit in shades of silver-blue by the moon. She considers. In a way, she is just doing it because it's what's done, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have any kind of plan. "Don't laugh," she says.

Interest sparks in Ryujin's eyes. "Cross my heart," she says.

"Okay. I'm kind of stuck between something with literature and something with event coordinating. And I know there's not really any overlap between the two, so it's a little messy."

"Why would I laugh at that?" Ryujin asks. "That's really cool! Both of those, actually. Do you want to be a writer or something? Is that what the lit is for? Or is it something else?"

Jisu tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah," she admits. "I love writing. Just don't know if I'm any good at it. Or, I mean, good enough to ever publish. Besides, who really gets big in writing anymore?"

"What kind of attitude is that?" Ryujin asks. "The arts are  _ so  _ important, Jisu. Like, the world runs on art, honestly. Without entertainment and fantasy everything would just be gray and boring and lifeless. You know how we were talking about beautiful things that make people  _ feel  _ something? That's what art is all about! Passion, loving,  _ feeling _ . You definitely shouldn't knock it, even if you don't think you're good enough yet- that's what school's all about, isn't it? Like aside from it being a money sucking monster, it can be about growth if you want it to be."

Jisu blinks. She hadn't been expecting that kind of response. She's used to her parents telling her that following her dreams is great, but it isn’t more important than thinking rationally about the future, making sure she's doing something secure. She's used to her school's college advisor looking down her nose at her. She doesn't expect this kind of fire from Ryujin. She  _ really  _ likes the surprise.

"Thanks," she says. "That actually means a lot to hear."

"I mean it," Ryujin says. "I love that you've got ideas and things you want to do! I think that's really cool, since I feel like I don't have any of that yet. Also-" she snaps her fingers "-I thought of a way those two things could line up."

"Oh?"

"You plan and organize your own book signing, or some other related event."

Jisu laughs. "Wow. That actually is a cool crossover."

"Thank you," Ryujin says with a grin. "I feel good about thinking of it."

"I'm glad," Jisu tells her earnestly. "And with a quick-working brain like that, I'm sure you'll figure something out for yourself sooner or later. Especially if you're doing soul-searching and adventuring this coming year."

"Thanks for the faith," Ryujin says. "I appreciate it."

"Course," Jisu says. "I guess we've both got years of  _ discovery _ -" she waves her hands a little "-ahead of us."

"Yeah," Ryujin agrees. "A whole year of existential questions and trying to solve the mysteries of the universe. But that year doesn't start quite yet, right?"

Jisu tilts her head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we've still got the rest of summer before reality sets in again. We've still got tonight. No big-picture thinking. Just us- living."

Jisu feels an excited warmth bloom and unfurl in her chest. The moonlight catches on the high points of Ryujin's face and seems to sparkle in her eyes, and  _ yeah _ ... Jisu is more than a little bit smitten. She holds an arm out, gesturing towards the expanse of the beach and the ocean- tide far away, but rolling in. "Care for long walks on the beach?"

Ryujin's face lights up with a smile, and she nods, stepping forward and linking her arm through Jisu's. "I do," she says.

Jisu can't help grinning, giddy like a schoolgirl as they head out down the beach, cool sand giving way underfoot. It feels like a scene from a movie... from a book Jisu might write one day.

"When we get back to the B&B," Ryujin says softly, "will you give me your number? And an autograph, in case you get famous?"

Jisu laughs, knocking lightly into Ryujin's side, radiating warmth against the cool night breeze. Everything seems to glow in the moonlight- the whole beach turned a shimmering silvery blue. Farther down the shore, the sound of waves lapping against wet sand fills the air with a sense of promise, of something still to come.

"Yes," Jisu says, voice just as soft as Ryujin's has gone. "There's something I can give you now, though. If you want."

Ryujin hums in interest, slowing down and stopping, still at Jisu's side. "Is it what I think it is?"

Jisu shrugs, but there's a smile playing at her lips. "Maybe."

"I'll take my chances, then," Ryujin says. "Give me all you've got."

Jisu flushes, but leans in to press her lips gently to Ryujin's cheek.

Ryujin's smile is so bright, it's almost like the sun has risen again. She leans in closer as well, and whispers, "When we get back, will you give me a proper kiss, too?"

Jisu can't help giggling. She starts walking down the beach again, tugging Ryujin along with her. "Yes," she says. "I'd be happy to." It’s a promise.

“Awesome,” Ryujin says, sounding just on the edge of breathless.

“Yeah,” Jisu agrees.  _ Awesome _ .

And though the night will come to a close soon enough, Jisu’s lips tingle as she smiles. It doesn’t feel like an ending. None of this feels like an ending.

This,  _ all  _ of this… it feels like another promise. 

It feels like a beginning. 

**Author's Note:**

> idk if thats actually how you'd go about making blueberry lemonade from concentrate but for the purposes of the fic (and out of respect for my struggling braincell) we're just gonna go with it
> 
> my [twitter](https://twitter.com/speIIbond)


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